Lord Deben, former Chairman of the UK’s independent Climate Change Committee, will deliver a flagship lecture at Ampleforth College.
The lecture is a joint initiative between the Catholic Union, The Ampleforth Society and Ampleforth College. It will take place on Friday 1st March at Ampleforth College, the independent Catholic school in North Yorkshire.
Lord Deben has been a Conservative peer since 2010. He served as Environment Secretary under John Major and until June 2023 was Chairman of the Climate Change Committee.
Catholic Union Director, Nigel Parker, welcomed the announcement of Lord Deben as speaker. “The Catholic Union is dedicated to the defence of Catholic values in Parliament and public life as well as the promotion of the common good. We could not want for a better speaker at this joint event in the splendour of Ampleforth,” Mr Parker said.
Lord Deben will use his lecture to talk about the Gospel Imperative for Climate Action. The event will bring together a wide section of the Catholic community with a passion for saving the planet as highlighted in Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si, on caring for our common home.
Ampleforth Headmaster Peter Roberts shared his delight at the prospect of hearing Lord Deben.
“We are delighted that Lord Deben will be addressing the Ampleforth community. His wealth of experience and insight into arguably the most important issue facing this, and future generations, will be of interest to all,” Mr Roberts said.
“Stewardship is a core tenet of our Benedictine ethos at Ampleforth College, where our staff and students are inspired by the Holy Father’s call to act. The importance of stewardship of the natural beauty around us is something that unites the generations across the Ampleforth family. We look forward to the event and welcoming guests.”
Lord Stafford, Chair of Trustees of The Ampleforth Society, said: “As a global community of Old Amplefordians, parents and friends of Ampleforth we have all been inspired by the beauty of the natural environment at Ampleforth and many members of the Ampleforth Society are advocates for sustainability and preservation of the environment. To hear such a respected speaker address this important issue will be of great interest for our members and guests.”
The event will be held at Ampleforth and will also be live streamed. To book a ticket for this event please visit the website of The Ampleforth Society: https://society.ampleforthcollege.org.uk/events